Device for delivering messages and orders to trainmen.



E. Y. OCONNER & c. N. McCASLIN. DEVICE FOR DELIVERING MESSAGES AND- DRDERS T0 TRAINMEN.

7 APPLICATION FILED SEPT-23,19l4.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

Inventor'.

Witnesses Attorneys THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co, WASHINGTON, D. c.

TINT 1 dATE AT @FFTQE.

EDWARD Y. OGONNER AND CARL N. MCCASLIN, 0F EARL PARK, INDIANA.

DEVICE FOR DELIVERING- MESSAGES AND ORDERS TO TRAINMEN'.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

Application filed September 23, 1914. Serial No. 863,168.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, EDWARD Y. OCoN- NER and CARL N. MoCAsL-IN, citizens of the United States, residing at Earl Park, in the county of Benton, State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Device for Delivering Messages and Orders to Trainmen, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to a device for delivering messages and orders to trainmen, and aims to provide a novel and improved appliance of that character.

This invention contemplates the provision of a delivering device of the nature indicated, embodying unique means for holding a cord or other flexible element carrying the message or order, whereby the engineer. conductor, or other trainman, may readily catch and withdraw the cord from the delivering device while the train is in motion.

Another object of the invention is to provide a reversible delivering device having opposite holding means for the cords or flexible elements carrying the messages or or ders, whereby one message or order may be delivered to the engineer, and the device then reversed for delivering another order or message to the conductor.

It is also within the scope of this invention, to provide a message and order deliverer, which will be simple, light and inexpensive in construction, and which will be convenient, practical, and serviceable in its use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention has been illustrated in its preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of the delivering device, a portion of the handle being broken away. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, portions being broken away.

In carrying out the present invention, there is provided a handle 1 of any suitable length and having a fork 2 at one end, the

handle and fork being flat, or having flat sides, and being preferably fashioned from light wood, although other materials may be employed if desired. The fork 2 is provided with three prongs, viz., the remote or end prongs 3 and the intermediate or central prong 4. One of the end prongs 3 forms with the central prong a secondary fork 5, while the other prong 8 forms with the central or common prong l, a secondary fork 6. The opposite sides of the secondary forks 5 and 6 are provided with the cord holding means, as will presently appear.

Spring clips or leaf springs 7 and S are secured to one side of each prong 3 adjacent the free and basal ends of the said prong, while spring clips or leaf springs 9 and 10 are secured to the opposite sides of the central or common prong l of the secondary forks, at the free and basal ends, respectively, of the said prong 4. A spring clip or leaf spring 11 is also secured to the crotch portion of each of the secondary forks 5 and 6. The butt ends of the spring clips or leaf springs 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 are secured to the fork 2 by means of rivets, screws or other securing elements 12, and the free ends of the clips or leaf springs are bent away from the sides of the fork 2, as at 13. The clips or springs of the two secondary forks 5 and 6 are disposed upon the opposite sides of the secondary forks, whereby the device is reversible to bring either of the secondary forks to delivering position. The free ends of the clips or springs 7 and 9 project in-.

wardly, or toward the basal or butt ends of the prongs 3 and 4, respectively, while the inner clips or springs 8, 10 and 11 project outwardly or toward the free ends of the prongs. Thus, the respective springs or clips 78 and 910 project toward one another.

The prongs 3 are provided with grooves 14: underneath the free portions of the springs or clips 7, and with similar grooves 15 underneath the free portions of the clips or springs 8, while the central prong 4 is provided with opposite grooves 16 in its sides underneath the outer or upper clips or springs 9, and with opposite grooves 17 in its sides underneath the clips or springs 10. The crotch portions of the secondary forks 5 and 6 are provided with the grooves 18 underneath the free portions of the respective springs or clips 11, the ends of the grooves 18 extending to the upper or outer edges of the crotch portions of the secondary forks.

The clips or springs of each secondary fork, are adapted to receive and hold a cord or other flexible element 19 which carries the message or order 20. Thus, one of the cords. 19 may be engaged to the clips of each secondary fork, as suggested in Fig. 1, the cord being readily sprung under the clips and into the respective grooves, whereby the cord will be held firmly in place, and at the same time may be readily withdrawn from the clips by the slightest pull upon the cord, After the cords 19 have been properly applied to the clips of the secondary forks, themessages or orders may be readily delivered. to the trainmen by properly holding the handle 1 so that the trainmen may pass their arms through the secondary forks 5 and 6 to catch and detach the flexible elements or cords 19 from the delivering device. Although only one of the secondary forks need be employed when a single message or order is to be delivered, it is to be noted that with the present device, two messages or orders can be delivered, one to the engineer and the other to the conductor. This is readily accomplished, by first holding the fork 2 so that one of the secondary forks is nearest the side of the train, whereby the engineer may first receive one message or order, and then by reversing the device the other secondary member or fork may be brought to delivering position so that the other message or order may be caught by the conductor or second trainman.

The clips or springs of the present device being disposed at the sides of the secondary forks, and being arranged between the edges of the prongs of the forks, will eliminate any projections or obstructions upon the edges of the prongs, which would be liable to catch the trainmens arms to inflict pos- :sible injury, and in view of the fact the five clips or springs of each secondary fork will hold the corresponding cord 19 in complete open condition, the trainman may readily .slip his arm through the secondary fork without interference, to take up the cord or loop 19 readily. It is thus possible for the trainmen to catch the cords or loops 19 even when the train is traveling at a high velocity. The cords or loops 19 will readily disengage themselves from the clips in either direction, and at any angle at which the device may be held.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A delivering device embodying a handle having a fork, and leaf springs secured to the free and basal ends of the prongs of the fork, the leaf springs being disposed at one side of the fork and being adapted to receive a flexible element, the leaf springs at the ends of the fork prongs projecting toward one another. i

2. A reversible delivering device embodying a handle having a fork provided with three prongs, and spring clips attached to both sides of the central prong and to one side of each of the end prongs, the spring clips being arranged adjacent the ends of the prongs, and the clips of the end prongs being disposed at opposite sides of the fork, whereby the clips of the end prongs cooperate with the respective clips of the central prong for holding a flexible element at each side of the fork.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

EDVARD Y. OCONNER. CARL N. MGCASLIN.

Witnesses J. J. HOLTAM, C. ALAN OCONNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for fivecents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

